Several former jeopardy contestants are demanding an explanation for the hand gesture made by former contestant Kelly Donohue. It appears to be a co-opting of a symbol used by white supremacist groups.
Kelly Donohue’s response
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Kelly Donohue has faced an outpouring of criticism for a controversial hand gesture he made during the last episode of Jeopardy! He made the gesture after winning three games on the show and appeared to lightly tap his hand against his chest, according to video.
The gesture is similar to a sign used by white supremacists, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.
A group of 467 former participants in the game have signed an open letter, demanding an apology for the incident.
It also claims that Donohue’s gesture was an unintended way of communicating a message.
In a statement, Donohue said the misunderstanding was “unfortunate.” He explained that he was trying to emphasize three wins.
Eventually, the word he was using became a slur and he retracted the post.
The Anti-Defamation League has classified the gesture as a symbol of hate. The gesture has been coopted by white supremacy groups, including Three Percenters and the alt-right.
Donohue, who is from Massachusetts, has made other similar gestures in the past. His most recent run on “Jeopardy!” earned him $80,601 and good command of the board.
Several former contestants have complained to the show’s producers, and a letter of complaint has been sent to the Jeopardy! Production Company.
Many viewers have spoken out on social media about the incident, and a number have called on the show to address the controversy. The Anti-Defamation League is urging the show to take action.
Co-opting the gesture by white supremacist groups
In an apparent violation of show rules, a recent Jeopardy contestant displayed a hand gesture reminiscent of a white supremacist sign.
The symbol is called the “Ok” and is a common gesture used by right-wing groups and white supremacists. Several former contestants have called on the show to correct the error and stop using the hand signal.
A group of 500 former “Jeopardy!” players wrote an open letter demanding a statement on the incident. Some of the letters say that the OK sign is a racist dog whistle.
They also accuse the production team of not being aware that there was a better way to communicate the same message.
According to the Anti-Defamation League, the OK sign is a well-known symbol used by white supremacists. The gesture was first made popular by the internet pranksters known as 4Chan.
This group of users started creating an association between the OK sign and white supremacy, calling the operation “Operation O-KKK.”
The gesture has been a subject of much controversy. Many have pointed out that it is only a white power symbol if it’s held upside down, which the anti-racist movement would likely deem as bigoted.
Others point to the fact that the gesture has been co-opted by hate groups, and even anti-government groups.
Donohue has responded to the criticism, but he insists the gesture was not meant to be racist. He said it was meant to show that he had won three games.
Former jeopardy! contestants demand an explanation
A group of former Jeopardy contestants are demanding an explanation for a hand gesture that appeared on Tuesday night’s episode.
The gesture resembled a white power symbol that has been coopted by white supremacists, hate groups and anti-government groups.
In an open letter, the group said they wanted an apology from Donohue and the show. They also want to know why the gesture was not edited out. “The production team has not responded to our request for comment,” they wrote.
Kelly Donohue, a 35-year-old Massachusetts state bank examiner, appears to have made the gesture during Tuesday’s show. But the contestant insists that he was simply indicating the number of games he’s won.
The gesture, which appeared in a tweet by a fan, sparked a social media debate. Some users wondered whether it was a subtle white power sign or a reference to the Ku Klux Klan. Others thought it was a QAnon symbol.
Donohue later issued a statement in which he denied any intent to make a racist gesture on television. He says the gesture was meant to indicate three wins.
Fans of the show took to Twitter to question Donohue’s gesture, and the Anti-Defamation League said it was a sign of white supremacy. It added the gesture to its “Hate on Display” database in 2019.
Former contestants are calling on the game show to address the incident. The group of over five hundred former players published an open letter on Medium, urging the show to condemn the gesture.
